Sugar Agreement Act 1947

Legislation au C1947A00061 Not in force Act

Legislation content

SUGAR AGREEMENT.

 

No. 61 of 1947.

An Act to approve an Agreement amending the Agreement approved by the Sugar Agreement Act 1946.

[Assented to 3rd December, 1947.]

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the Sugar Agreement Act 1947.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Approval of agreement.

3. The agreement made between His Majesty’s Government of the Commonwealth of Australia and His Majesty’s Government of the State of Queensland (a copy of which agreement is set forth in the Schedule to this Act) is approved.

 

Section 3. THE SCHEDULE.

——

SUGAR AGREEMENT 1946–1951.

Supplementary Agreement.

Agreement made this seventeenth day of October One thousand nine hundred and forty-seven between the right honorable Joseph Benedict Chifley Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia and herein acting for and on behalf of and with intent to bind the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia (hereinafter referred to as the Commonwealth Government) and not so as to incur or come under any personal liability in respect of these presents of the one part and the honorable Edward Michael Hanlon Premier and Chief Secretary of the State of Queensland and herein acting for and on behalf of and with intent to bind the Government of the State of Queensland (hereinafter referred to as the Queensland Government) and not so as to incur or come under any personal liability in respect of these presents of the other part.

Whereas by an Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the principal Agreement) known as the Sugar Agreement 1946–1951 a copy of which Agreement is contained in the Schedule to the Sugar Agreement Act 1946 of the Commonwealth and made


between the right honorable Joseph Benedict Chifley Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia therein acting for and on behalf of and with intent to bind the Commonwealth Government of the one part and the honorable Frank Arthur Cooper then Premier of the State of Queensland therein acting for and on behalf of and with intent to bind the Queensland Government of the other part it was agreed amongst other things that the Queensland Government should during the period specified in the principal Agreement make sugar and other sugar products available at the prices and upon the terms and conditions specified in the principal Agreement

And whereas it has been agreed between the Commonwealth Government and the Queensland Government that the principal Agreement shall be varied in the manner and to the extent hereinafter set forth

Now therefore it is hereby agreed as follows:—

Commencement.

1. (1) This Agreement shall have no force or effect unless and until it is approved by the Parliament of the Commonwealth.

(2) This Agreement shall come into operation on the day that the same is so approved.

Price of sugar.

2. On and from the day on which this Agreement comes into operation and for so long thereafter as the principal Agreement remains in force the principal Agreement shall be amended as follows:—

In sub-clause (1) of Clause 5 of the principal Agreement all words and figures from and including the words “Refined Sugar of 1a Grade” to the end of the sub-clause are deleted and the following words and figures are inserted in lieu thereof.

Refined Sugar of 1a Grade:

Price for not less than half-ton lots for net cash—£37 6s. 8d. per ton.

Refined Sugar of 1xd Grade:

Price to manufacturers for net cash—£36 11s. 9d. per ton.

Other Grades of Refined Sugar and Golden Syrup and Treacle:

These prices shall be fixed at amounts not exceeding the respective proportionate values of such products compared with the above prices for refined sugar of 1a and 1xd grades.

Mill-White Sugar of good colour and not less than 98 net titre, and

First Quality Mill Sugar of not less than 98 net titre—

Price to manufacturers for definite orders at reasonable notice for net cash—£32 10s. 6d. per ton.

Price to other purchasers for not less than half-ton lots for definite orders at reasonable notice for net cash—£33 3s. 9d. per ton.

In witness whereof the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia and the Premier and Chief Secretary of the State of Queensland have for and on behalf of their respective Governments hereunto set their hands the day and year first above mentioned.

Signed by the right honorable Joseph Benedict Chifley the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia for and on behalf of the Government of the said Commonwealth in the presence of:—

J. B. CHIFLEY.

H. Heyes.

 

Signed by the honorable Edwabd Michael Hanlon Premier and Chief Secretary of the State of Queensland for and on behalf of the Government of the said State in the presence of:—

E. M. HANLON.

 

T. G. Hope.

 

Overview

The Sugar Agreement Act 1947 was enacted to approve an agreement that amended the existing Sugar Agreement approved by the Sugar Agreement Act 1946. This Act was introduced to address the need for adjustments in the sugar production and pricing arrangement between the Commonwealth Government and the Queensland Government. Enacted by the Parliament of Australia, the Act's policy objective was to formalise the modifications to the original agreement to better reflect market conditions and ensure the continued smooth operation of the sugar industry. The approved agreement detailed in the Act specified new prices for various grades of sugar, ensuring that the terms of supply and purchase remained fair and reflective of economic realities during the period 1946-1951.

Scope and Application

The Sugar Agreement Act 1947 applies to the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of Queensland, and its primary purpose is to approve a supplementary agreement that amends the original Sugar Agreement 1946-1951. The act establishes a legally binding arrangement between the Commonwealth Government, represented by the Prime Minister, and the Government of Queensland, represented by the Premier and Chief Secretary, for the supply of sugar and related products. This act operates under the Commonwealth jurisdiction, and its provisions are confined to the terms and conditions outlined in the supplementary agreement. The act itself does not explicitly state any exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds, but these may be found within the supplementary agreement. The scope and application of the act can be further defined or extended through subordinate instruments or regulations that may be introduced to administer the agreement.

Key Provisions

The Sugar Agreement Act 1947 (C1947A00061) serves primarily to approve a supplementary agreement that amends an existing agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of Queensland. The main operative sections of this Act are found in sections 1 to 3. Section 1 provides the short title of the Act, Section 2 states the commencement date, and Section 3 approves the supplementary agreement between the two governments, the details of which are set out in the Schedule. The Schedule itself details the changes to the original Sugar Agreement 1946–1951, primarily focusing on the prices for different grades of refined sugar and related products. The Act imposes specific obligations on both the Commonwealth Government and the Queensland Government. These obligations include ensuring that the amended agreement, once approved by the Parliament of the Commonwealth, comes into operation on the day of approval (Schedule, Section 1(2)). Additionally, both governments must adhere to the newly specified prices for sugar products as outlined in the amended agreement (Schedule, Section 2). The Commonwealth Government, as the approving authority, must ensure that the supplementary agreement is passed by Parliament and becomes effective upon Royal Assent. The Queensland Government, on the other hand, must comply with the new pricing terms and conditions stipulated in the amended agreement. Breaching the terms of the amended agreement could result in various consequences. Although the Act does not explicitly outline specific offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for breach, it is reasonable to infer that non-compliance with the agreed terms could lead to legal disputes. Both parties might seek remedies through the courts, potentially resulting in civil actions for breach of contract. While the Act does not state explicit maximum penalties, penalties would typically depend on the nature and extent of the breach, as well as any additional contractual terms or common law principles applied in the resolution process.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Commercial Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Commencement Provisions
Approval of agreement
Price of sugar

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.